Château Tour des Gendres is an organic estate in Ribagnac in the Bergerac region of France. The Moulin des Dames is the top range of wines whether red or white. ‘Anthologia’ denotes wines from great vintages (2000, 2005).

Owner: Luc de Conti bought the estate in 1981 which was originally part of the neighbouring Château de Bridoire. Luc de Conti is the winemaker, his cousin Francis looks after the vines and his brother Jean oversees the rest of the family farm). Now run by Luc’s son Guillaume (06.20.76.86.21).

Vineyards: 52ha of Bergerac with three vineyard sites:

–Les Gendres: clay-limestone over Monbazillac marl (40ha I think). The best 10ha here, for Moulin des Dames, were under biodynamic trial in 2009. Wooden dynamiser (400 litres). 500P. Luc said in 2009 that “it is not possible to be fully biodynamic on 52ha because it requires so much personal involvement.”

–Le Grand Caillou: clay-limestone over Castillon marl. Due to go Biodynamic from pruning 2012.

–Saint Julien d’Eymet: clay-limestone and argilo-limoneux sur marne de l’Agenais. Due to go Biodynamic from pruning 2012.

Organic certification: 2005 52ha (C1) Agrocert. 2009 52ha with full organic status for the first time (Agrocert). 

Organics: ‘In the first few years of switching to organics wine quality suffers slightly, as the vines re-discover themselves,’ Luc de Conti told me (by ‘phone Wed 15th July 2009). ‘For the vector of Flavescence Dorée we make a liquid manure from fern in early July which is added to normal sprays. We mix this tap water [although this needs acidifying by being run over some kind of resin. Rain water has better acidity compared to tap water but you need to wait thirty minutes into a storm to collect it to avoid roof dust. Bentonite can be sprayed on vine leaves as a powder and on its own partly because the insect vector does not like landing on a dusty surface, but also because the vector seems to be attracted to vines with dark leaves ie those which have been fed too much nitrogen or potassium as fertilizer.’

Stinging nettle liquid manure is made by collecting (20kg annually) nettles before they flower, soaking in a barrel for 10-12 days. Charles Lea say of Luc’s conversion to organics “’ used to stay with him every year on my annual Jan/Feb Tour des Vignobles. Despite any of his winemaking ‘trucs’ (microbullage, long lees contact [using lees that is collected at racking, sorted and reintroduced having been mixed into a mayonnaise-like paste, according to Andrew Jefford in The New France 2006 edition, p.202], even vinification in barrel) Luc has always known he had to start with good fruit and has acted accordingly, so the wines have always tasted grown not made.’

Winemaking: No MLF on whites ever, red grapes are de-stemmed. Ambient yeast, slow ferments. Also Micro-oxygenation.

Sparkling wines

Vin de France, Pet Nat: 2016 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 10% Chenin Blanc. Very nice, crisp, clear style (Real Wine Fair 2017).

White wines

Bergerac Blanc AOC, Château Tour des Gendres: Dry white. No MLF on whites.

Bergerac Blanc AOC, Conti-Né Périgourdine: From a single plot of one hectare of mass selection, small-grained muscadelle, with 0-5% sauvignon, up to 5%. The soil is clay-limestone, on Agenais marl. Hand harvest. Fermentation half in barrels and half in vats, before aging on lees for 11 months. No MLF.

Bergerac Blanc AOC, Cuvée des Conti: 2010 70% Semillon, 20% Sauvignon Blanc, 10% Muscadelle. Stainless steel. Eight months on the lees and a month in barriques for the Muscadelle. Lees aged. No MLF. Nice cream (Millésime Bio 2012). | 2015 Very savoury, clean, vg modern leesy style (Real Wine Fair 7th May  2017).

Bergerac Blanc Sec, Moulin des Dames: The flagship white. Sémillon, 35% Sauvignon, 15% Muscadelle. Made from grapes harvested on the Les Gendres plot. Barrel fermented in Allier (50% new, 50% used). No filtration or fining. | 2014 Nice and creamy, citric, modern, almost like a NZ white style (Real Wine Fair 7th May  2017).

Pink wines

Bergerac Rosé AOC, Château Tour des Gendres: 95% Cabernet Sauvignon + 5% Merlot, 20% of which sees some new oak.

Red wines

Bergerac Rouge AOC, Château Tour des Gendres: 2011 Nice modern plum (Millésime Bio 2012).

Bergerac Rouge AOC, Moulin des Dames: 60% Merlot, 40% CS. The Moulin des Dames Rouge once famously finished ahead of Château Margaux in a blind tasting in Paris (Paul Strang: 2009, p.158).

Bergerac Rouge AOC Anthologia: 60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. Fermented in 500 litre barrels which are turned (roulage) to give a gentler extraction.

Bergerac Rouge AOC, La Gloire de Mon Père: From the highest vineyards on a calcareous plateau. Dedicated by Luc to his father and recalls a work by Marcel Pagnol. 50% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Malbec, 10% Cabernet Franc. Nearly 2 years in oak.

Vigne d’Albert Rouge: From a mixed vineyard planted in the 1960s by Albert de Conti, with some rare or almost extinct heritage varieties like Fer, Périgord, Abouriou, Mérille, plus both Cabernets, Malbec, Alicante. 2015 Tasted but no note  (Real Wine Fair 2016).

L’Ancien Franc: 2015 Tank sample: very bright colour and fruit with no vegetal notes (Real Wine Fair 2016).

Sweet wines

Bergerac Blanc Sec, Moulin des Dames ‘Anthologia’. 100% late harvested Sauvignon Blanc (picked grape by grape). Skin contact. Barrel-fermented and left on the lees. A golden wine with luscious heavy honey notes and oriental spices. 2014 100% SB. Calcaire. FerCal. Planted by Luc de Conti’s father. 3 days on skins (cold). 25hl foudre. No MLF. Burgundian. Deep citrus, well done style (Real Wine Fair 7th May  2017).